playing with fire and salt

 walking the real dog..

 helping to fill the spaces in someone else's firing

 dogs for firing..

 a dog knows his place....

 salting..

 test rings looking good..

 and resting

looking forward to seeing the results..we couldn't stay an extra day

weekend saltglaze firing

All in!!

Cones, draw rings and one of my boxes

Francis Drake coming to check!

Draw ring being taken out to check firing progress

All twelve out by the end of adding salt....now we wait until Tuesday evening, hopefully, for the Grand Opening

South Wales Potters at Bridge Pottery, Cheriton, Gower

On the fifteenth of October I went to a South Wales Potters meeting at Micki Schloessink's Bridge Pottery in Cheriton, Gower, near Swansea.
We discussed making, firing and selling , and watched Micki making.



One she made earlier!





The spacious workshop, warmed by a woodburning stove, where we tried two of the clays that she imports from near La Bourne in France.
I made a horse in the "Terre Primitif", which is actually a made body!

The kiln is warmed by propane then fired with wood



Discussing glaze tests
Fleen Doran, who is Micki's apprentice on the "adopt a potter" scheme

Kiln Opening

Beautiful pots, pots to learn from, glaze tests and shape tests.....

Each firing sends you on to the next, aiming to do as well, or do better!

I find that I am using the wrong sort of porcelain for saltglazing-but it might do well mixed with the stoneware clay body I use.

Next step is a local Farmers' Market, and more glazing for firing in a month's time.

success!